USA > Ohio > Lorain County > Lorain > History of the First Methodist Church, 1856-1956 > Part 10
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Candle-Light Service
"THE DEDICATION of the new Lorain Meth- odist Church was carried out on schedule Jan. 8, 1893 but with one untoward incident that almost caused a panic," according to the columns of Lorain Times and Herald. "As a result of this accident part of the even. ing service was conducted with only a single coal-oil lamp as illumination.
"Toward the close of the sermon the gas lights flick- ered for a moment and finally puffed out. The only remaining light was the small coal-oil lamp on the pulpit.
"Visions of an explosion when the lamps should be re-lighted came to many and a very marked restless- ness became apparent in the room.
"The nervous ones were partially reassured by the minister, who explained that something about the gas was out of order, but would soon be set right.
"The jets were relighted as soon as it could be done and everyone breathed easier.
"The gas is supplied by a patent gasoline gas machine and the janitor had forgotten to wind it up."
Ladies' Aid Minstrels
THE LADIES' AID SOCIETY of First M. E. Church presents its Military Minstrel Maids, Tuesday and Wednesday Evenings, February 17 and 18, 1925. High School Auditorium, Lorain, Ohio.
Personell: Interlocutor, Mrs. Netta Standen.
Premier End Ladies: Miss Lulu White, Miss La- Vern Stone, Mrs. Grace Cox, Mrs. Edna Ayres.
Soloists: Mrs. Maude Brattin, Mrs. Alice Smith, Mrs. Margaret Hurst, Mrs. Erma Askew, Master John Beck.
Chorus: Pearl Tope, Louise Vickers, Gladys Wil- liams, Blanch Smith, Lottie Lucas, Laura Neptune, Stella Briggs, Beatrice Curtis, Myrtle Wood, Lora Saegers, Margaret Redding, Marguerite Hartz, Ina McIllvaine, Helen Newhall, Ella Miller, Blanch Moore, Evaline Mills, Edna Basore, Mary Erwin, Margaret Bunker, Nina Hildreth, Ruth Hauter, Esther Dutton, Martha Dutton, Nina Scott, Gertrude Grills, Elizabeth Garver, Lillian Hicok, Clara Hageman, Margaret Hess, Katherine Reeder, Mae Kelser, Dorothy Cleveland, Olive Metzger, Marie Homen, Nina Allen, Mrs. Fowl.
Program: Opening Overture, Entire Company; "Because They All Loved You," Mrs. Hurst; "I'd Love to Be the Monkey in the Zoo," Miss Stone; "The Pal That I Loved Stole the Gal That I Loved, Mrs. Askew; "Pretty Little Blue Eyed Sally," Mrs. Cox, John Beck; "Jealous," Mrs. Smith; "I Didn't Ask, He
Didn't Say, So I Didn't Know," Miss White; "Eliza," Mrs. Ayres.
Staff of Military Minstrel Maids: Manager and Producer, Grace C. Vorwerk; Press Representatives, Mrs. Hoiles, Mrs. Hyde; Ticket Representatives, Mrs. Herron, Mrs. Erwin; Director of Chorus, Mrs. Edna Ayres; Pianist, Mrs. Evelyn McNutt; Orchestra, P. J, Stephen.
General Chairman: Mrs. E. M. Love; Costumes: Mesdames Kochenderfer, Greenwood, Miller, Barten- feld, W. Goodell, L. Goodell.
Olio, Tuesday, Feb. 17: (a) Solo, Miss Marcella Smith; (b) Reading, Miss Mary A. Ristine; (c) Solo, Mrs. W. W. Whitehouse; (d) Hungarian Dance, Miss Georgeana Rusin.
Rainbow Girls Orchestra, Miss Maurine Stuthers, Director.
Olio, Wednesday, Feb. 18: (a) Solo, Miss Smith; (b) Reading, Miss Helen Schwert; (c) Japanese Dance, Miss Georgeana Rusin; (d) Solo, Mrs. John Spangler; (e) Solo, Mrs. W. W. Whitehouse; (f) Selection, Eastern Star Quartette. % *
This show just popped with surprising, unexpected talent. It brought a tidy sum for our building fund. If laughter helps, it did us all good, but, someone thought it tended to upset our worshipful attitude.
Lyceum
May 7, 1884
A VERY PROFITABLE meeting of the Metho- dist Episcopal Lyceum was held last Friday evening at the residence of Mrs. Jas. Chapman on Broadway.
The recitations were well delivered and showed evi- dence of careful preparation. After various other exercises, the discussion listened to the question, "Resolved, that Chistopher Columbus deserves more praise for discovering America than George Wash- ington for defending it."
Miss Mida Pershing and Edward Horn argued affirmatively while John Horn and Joseph Babcock took the floor for the negative.
Miss Emma Vorwerk was elected to fill the vacancy made by the resignation of Pres. J. W. Horn.
Society adjourned to meet in two weeks at the residence of T. R. Bowen.
December 5, 1883
The M. E. Church Lyceum met at G. W. Pershing's house on last Friday night and enjoyed the usual literary feast of readings, rehearsals, singing and a society paper full of wit, wisdom and good humor.
This society meets at private residences once in two weeks and is attended by about 30 of the young people of the church and congregation.
I. D. Lawler is president and Mida Pershing is secretary. A pleasant and profitable place for young people to spend the long, winter evenings.
(Mr. Lawler is one of the men who was drowned on the tug Leo in 1889.)
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Circuit Riders
. HISTORICALLY, THIS STORY concerning Circuit Riders should preceed that of any other subject in our collection. It is a large order and your historian could in no way do justice to it, short of months of reading and research. Having heard Prof. Paul H. Boase, associate professor of speech at Oberlin College, give a lecture concerning Methodist Circuit Riders in Northern Ohio for the Lorain County Historical Society, I interviewed him on this subject. I had hoped merely to learn who the riders of our particular area might have been and, if possible, read some of their comments on the work here in Black River.
Prof. Boase demonstrated that he was happy to discuss one of his favorite subjects and so willingly supplied me with a great quantity of reading matter. Of course I have found that a short article would be wholly inadequate to show the background, the mechanics of the system, the fervent spirit of the riders and an appraisal of their work. I can only hope that the short items included in this report will stir your curiosity and interest enough, that you will want to do some research of your own. I recommend to you Prof. Boase's thesis, "The Methodist Circuit Rider on the Ohio Frontier," "submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" in 1952.
In the material lent to me was the Chronological Account of the "Saddle Bag Tribe" from 1823 to 1858 as it was traced in (now) Lorain Co. Sure enough, Uri Richards and Moses K. Hard are there.
Another item of interest was the account of the manuscripts of Philip Gatch, born in Baltimore, Maryland, who was the first circuit rider in Ohio. These manuscripts are in the possession of Miss Virginia Markham, (daughter of Grant Markham) and grand daughter of Rev. L. A. Markham one of our early pastors. Miss Markham has been a teacher in the Cleveland Public Schools and still resides in the city. Mr. Gatch was an ancestor of Mrs. Grant Markham.
Prof. Boase also lists Rev. J. H. Pitezel's manu- script as part of the Bibliography used in writing his thesis. Rev. Pitezel is in our history as having lived some of his retirement years in Lorain.
Rev. Alfred Brunson (originally Brownson) men- tions in his book "Western Pioneer" that, clad in homespun, he made his way to his new circuit in Huron Co. through almost inpassable wilderness, to find his charge. He writes of crossing Black River on Ridge Road (?) and finding a family named Smith who counted themselves Methodists. His is a story to make you wonder at the faith and determi- nation of these riders. His circuit extended west from the river, through Pittsfield, Norwalk and he had to travel 30 miles before he found a road leading to the lake shore, west of Cleveland.
Elnathan Corrington Gavitt's book, "Crumbs from my Saddle Bags", Chapter 20, brings us a little nearer to our own settlement here. He writes "In 1830 I was assigned to the Black River Circuit in company with Cyrus S. Carpenter, an excellent Christian
brother of ordinary ministerial ability. He was favored with a superior educated campanion and a very kind and sweet dispositioned lady. She was a valuable accession to the charge, and contributed largely to the usefulness of her husband."
The presiding elders of the church discouraged marriage for their saddle bag preachers. Some of the people on the circuit were also against it, because their donations must of necessity be larger to sup- port the rider's family which often rode along with him. Amount of salary for a married preacher was $200 a year, for an unmarried one, $100. Could a parellel be found today in the people who wanted a free gospel from every angle?
There was a problem too, in where to house these people. You take them this trip. I have company coming and my "young uns" are half sick.
At a Quarterly Meeting Conference held at Grafton, Lorain County, December 26, 1829 a com- mittee was appointed to select a suitable site for a house to be erected for the use of the itinerant pastor and his family. Elyria was chosen and a group of 57 men signed to provide money, labor, material or grain to further the building of the house The labor to be performed and the material to be delivered within six months. The grain to be paid within one year and the money within one year in quarterly payments. Among those names I find only one, James Porter, who might have been from the vil- lage of Black River. Rev. Gavitt shows his spirit of aggressiveness in this story concerning Oberlin. He wished to establish a Methodist class or church in the village but had difficulty persuading the college author- ities that there was room for another denomination than the one already established, Congregational. He had word, "If Mr. Gavitt thinks he can preach any better than the faculty, then he can come." Mr. Gavitt went, and on presenting himself to the one church organization there, was asked, "Do you think you can?" (Preach better.) He replied, "If I did not I should not be here ..... ". Mr. Finney of the college wanted "to keep the place free from any conflicting influences."
Mr. Gavitt added "Well, my good brother, that may be alright and the best thing for your church and the institution, but it was somewhat unfortunate that the Lord had not been informed of that fact in time. Then He would have said, 'Go ye into all the world and preach My Gospel to every creature- except in Oberlin.' There they want the exclusive right of church membership, and no Methodist inter- ference whatever."
Mr. Gavitt did start a class of twenty members.
The name of Capt. Stanton Sholes is mentioned as having built, principally out of his own- means, the first frame Methodist Church in North Amherst in 1832. The village of Black River became a part of the North Amherst circuit.
Rev. Gavitt mentions Abraham Rice of Amherst, a good Methodist brother. Also Mr. Martin Belden, who could be one of our Mrs. Nellie Kurtz' long ago relatives. Their story of a trip to the Mormon settle- ment in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1842 where they found
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some Methodist back sliders from Amherst, is en- tertaining.
"The Black River Circuit was an extensive charge bounded on the north by Lake Erie, on the east by the Cuyahoga on the south by Wayne County and on the west by the Fire Lands. There was but one Methodist meeting house within the bounds of this charge. That one was in Wellington." The above, a continuation of Rev. Gavitt's account in 1830. Rev. Gavitt also says that the entire church, mentioned above, "was finished and completcd from top to bottom, with something less than a pound of nails, which I purchased in Cleveland, and were used in finishing door and pulpit, and a small table for communion purposes.'
It has been disappointing not to have found actual accounts of happenings in the village of Black River or Charleston, when such small settlements as Avon, Dover (Westlake) and LaPorte are given space in the Methodist Circuit Riders writings. That
might be because "Father Betts", the Presbyterian circuit preacher of Huron and Brownhelm, had things pretty well in hand. If you recall, it was he who had some influence in getting Rev. Moses K. Hard and his helper, Rev. Griffin, Methodists, to come and try their methods on the people in Charleston. No "Oberlin incident" in that, I'd say.
A rare book company of Mansfield at one time- not too long ago-advertised "Wrapper Titles- Confession of Faith, Historical and Statistical sketches of the churches under the Presbytery of Huron" (Norwalk 1854).
It has not been my privilege, as yet, to examine Father Betts accounts of his work which could be in the above-mentioned papers. It might be that he could give some more light on the religious atmos- phere of our village in his day, and why he thought the Methodists could liven things up.
The research will continue.
The Official Board
. FROM THAT FIRST Board of Trustees in 1856, Caleb Peachy, treasurer, John Nichols, Capt. Henry Wallace, et. al., down through one hundred years to our present Official Board, there has been much, much, business transacted, some odd things done in the early days, because of lack of know-how, some trustees who were not members of the church, elected because they had business experience, some touchy subjects handled and many gray hairs given a head start.
It is recorded that those first trustees had to super- vise the improvements needcd to make that first wooden building ready for use. Was this necessary, was that necessary, can't we let the painting wait, do we need a bell, what about the hitching posts, who will keep the fire going to hurry the drying of the plaster?
Caleb Peachy lived about opposite the church and he was delegated to look after that fire. He must have spent some miserable evenings thinking of the number of times he would have to trip(?) across the street and put on some more coal or wood and not too much, for fear of disastrous results. No time-and-a-half pay for over hours trustee work. Mr. Peachy's grand- daughter, Marjorie Bourne, of the Cleveland Library staff, told Mrs. Elnora Horn Fauver that Grandpa Caleb caught his death of cold doing his churchly duties in the way of keeping the fire going, and died from pneumonia. Grandma Peachy is recorded as saying she left the Methodist church when many of the members decided to organize a Congregational church. When asked how it was that the Methodists could afford the extensive repairs they made on that old wooden building, Mrs. Peachy said that the ladies of the church went around the village and took up subscriptions from anyone and everyone, because for a while there was just that one church to support.
The "Discipline" (1944 copy), of the Methodist Church, states: "In every church and charge there shall be an executive body, the Official Board or the
Board of Stewards as the Quarterly Conference may determine. . . . " That body is made up of Stewards, Trustees, Pastor, Layleader, Superintendent of Church School, Chairman Board of Education and Director, Annual Conference Laymember, President W.S.C.S., President Methodist Men, Church Treasurer, Associate Pastor, Youth Division Representative. All must be members of the church.
The Discipline also outlines details of the work, all under direction of pastor. The details are legion. We should be willing to read about the work expected of the Board and then praise those who take the re- sponsibility of general oversight of the business of the church. It is probably easier to criticize or ignore what is done.
Would you like to make up the Budget of the church? Fix the pastor's salary? Take care of the every member canvass and come home with a wound- ed spirit? Reading a sample of the minutes of just one Official Board meeting would likely make the head of any non working church member, spin 'round. What do you imagine happens to the Board members?
I wish I could bring to your attention the names of all the fine people who have given their thought and time to the official business of the church.
Some time when a meeting of the Quarterly Con- ference is announced, plan to attend and hear first hand the reports of every organization of the church. When you have heard the disbursing treasurer, the benevolence treasurer, the Methodist Ministers' Pen- sion chairman, the redecorating committee and dozens of others, you will realize how many hours of work go into all the work of the church. The Board must pass judgment on all these things. Do the members of the Board all agree? They are all human, so you can answer that question yourself. When the District Superintendent (we used to call him the Presiding Elder) comes to hear and advise, he finds much that is praise worthy .. in our fine leadership. A bit of practical Christianity at work.
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John J. Nichols
September, 1956
I HAVE BEEN asked to write something of the relations of my parents with the early Methodist Church in Lorain.
My parents were John J. and Debora W. Nichols. My father died when I was five years old (1878) so I do not remember personally, much of his re- ligious life. My mother lived twenty one years after my father's death. I learned from her and father's many friends a good deal of his life and Christian service.
My mother, Debora Lowe, was born in a log cabin in Berlin Township, Erie County, Ohio, in 1836. She was the youngest of a good sized family. Her father died before she was born. From her earliest youth she knew hard work, economy, sac- rifice and God.
In young womanhood this girl married a farmer who lived in Black River Township, Lorain County, Ohio. Their home was on the lake shore about two and one half miles west of "Black River" one of the former names of Lorain. The name of the young man whom this girl married was John J. Nichols.
Nichols was an honest, hard working man. He had not surrendered to Jesus Christ. One evening, my mother, Debora, as was her custom, talked with her Savior. Part of that talk was about her husband. John (my father), heard that prayer. The next evening he knelt at the altar of the church and surrendered to God.
From that time my father worked the farm for the necessities of life. His principal work was con- nected with Christ's Kingdom. No mud was ever too deep or snow banks too high to keep him from his church and prayer meeting. If mud or snow or rough frozen roads were too bad to take a horse out, he walked. It has been said that he walked two and one half miles to the church, built the fire and rang the bell to call folks from their homes next to the church, to prayer meeting. His life interest seemed to be in the church and Sunday School and in the homes and individuals who were so in earnest in the work.
My father taught in the Sunday School and was at times Sunday School superintendent. One day in the 1930's Mrs. McAllister who had been a member of a class taught by my father, gave to my daughter, Edith (my father's granddaughter), a vase which my father had given her for faithful Sunday School at- tendance.
My father spent much time with his Bible. He bought, and we still have in our home, four leather bound volumes of Clark's Commentaries on the Bible, the book Josephus and other helps in Bible study.
Mr. T. R. Bowen once told me that he had tried to take my father's place in the church, greeting folks and making them feel at home in the church.
My mother was not so regular in attendance during these years. There was a good sized family of growing children at home. A good deal of the time a babe in her arms. There never was a time when mother was not doing her full duty. She was always intimately acquainted with Christ. One evening in the old Washington Ave. Church, Prayer meeting night, the door opened, the minister looked up and said, "Here comes sister Nichols and her boys."
One day in 1899 I stood with other members of our family at mother's bedside. With the last breath she ever drew she said distinctly, "The Open Door - The Open Door.'
My sister Grace, whom many of you remember, was faithful in her church work. She taught girls in the Sunday School for many years and was con- nected with many other useful offices in the church.
Probably more than thirty years after my father's death three people for whom I was permitted to perform a service, spoke to me of my father. None of these had belonged to father's church. One had done the annual grain threshing. One had worked in father's brick yard. One had known father more by reputation than by close acquaintance. Two said, "After breakfast, before we went to work, we went into the living room where your father read the Bible and we had prayer." The third one said, "I always heard so much of your father's prayer life."
I am including in this report a copy of a paper which my father wrote and signed in 1886.
I shall never stop thanking God for his love as expressed in the parents He gave me.
Yours in Christ, John Birdsall Nichols Bert Nichols
A granddaughter of Mr. John J. Nichols, Mrs. Virginia Nichols Buckley, and her daughter, Marilyn Buckley, also represent (now 1956) the Nichols family in First Church.
Black River
February 21, 1886
ETERNAL AND UNCHANGEABLE God thou great Creator of heaven and Earth and Lord of angels and men I desire with the deepest humiliation and abasement of self to fall down in thy awful presence deeply penetrated with a self sense of thy glorious perfections
trembling may well take hold upon me when I a sinful worm presume to Lift up my soul to thee on
such an occasion as this. Who am I O lord God or what is my nature and descent my Character and desert that I should speak of this. and be one party in the Covenant where thou the king of kings and Lord of Lords arte the other but O Lord great as is thy majesty so also is thy mercy and I know that in and through Jesus Christ the son of thy love. thou Con- descendest to visit sinful mortals and to allow their
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approach to thee and their Engaging in Covenant with thee may i know that thou hast instituted the Covenant relation between thee and me. and that thou hast graciously sent to propose it to me i am unworthy of thy smallest favors. and having sinned against thee I have forfeited all right of stipulation in my own name and thankfully accept the conditions which thy infinite wisdom and godness have ap- pointed as just and right and altogether gracious
and this day do I, with the utmost solemnity and sincerity, surrender myself to thee. desiring nothing so much as to be wholly thine. I renounce all former lords that have had dominion over me, and I Con- secrate to thee all that I am. and all that i have. the faculties of my minde the members of my body. my worldly possessions, my time and my influence with others to be all used entirely fore thy glory and. resolutely imployed in obedience to thy commands. as long as thou shalt continue my life ever holding myself in an attentive posture to observe the first intimation of thy will. and ready with alacrity and zeal to execute it whether it relates to thee to myself or my fellow creatures. to thy direction also I resign my self. and all I am and have, to be disposed of by thee in such a manner as thou shalt in infinite wisdom judge most fore thy glory. to thee i leave the man- agement of all events. and say without reserve thy will be done.
and I herby resolve to take thee fore my supreme Lorde and all sufficient portion: that i will ac- knowledge no god but thee. the father. the son, an the holy ghost; that i will depend alone on the meditation of thy dearly beloved son for wisdom righteousness and redemption. and may people. wash
me in the blood of thy dear son and sanctify me throughout by the power of thy spirit. that i may love thee with all my heart and serve thee with a willing mind. Communicate to me. I beseech thee. all needed influence of thy purifying. thy cheering. and thy comforting spirits and lift up that light of thy Countenance upon which shall putjoy and gladness into my soul and when i shall have done and borne thy will upon Earth. Call me from hence at what time and in what manner thou pleasest: only grant that in my dying moments. and in the near prospect of eternity I may remember these my engagements to thee. and may employ my latest breath in thy service and do thou, Lord when thou seest agonies of dis- solving nature upon me. remember this Covenant. too. even though I should be incapable of recollecting it. Look down. O heavenly father. with a pitying eye upon thy languishing, thy dying child. place thy everlasting arms under me for my support: put strength and confidence into my departing spirit. and receive it to the embraces of thy everlasting Love welcome it to the abodes of them that s(1) eep in Jesus. to wait with them that glorious day. when the last of thy promises. to thy covenant people shall be fulfilled in their resurrection and to that abundant entrance which shall be ministered to them into that everlasting kingdom of which thou hast assured them by thy Covenant. and in the hope which I now lay hold on it. designing to live and die as with my hand upon it. amen amen
John Nichols
(Note: this is copied from a meditation and prayer written in Mr. Nichols hand writing.)
Custodians
THESE WERE THE men who really knew the short comings of the church members. We made many demands on them and "Will you please?" must have been a peculiar sound to their ears. They had to clean up after the careless ones had left this and that around, they had to be at church early and late to keep us comfortable and warm and clean, and if we had an evening affair, wait around until every- body had left the church.
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